Photo Highlights from NYC’s Governors Ball Festival

NYC has struggled for years to develop a music festival it can call its own. And while it may not rival mega-fests like Coachella or Lollapalooza, Governors Ball came back kicking for its second year with a weekend-long lineup that included such heavy hitters as Beck, Fiona Apple, Kid Cudi, and Modest Mouse. Taking its name from its original home on Governors Island, the event was somewhat confusingly moved to Randall’s Island for 2012, but that didn’t stop revelers from pouring in by the thousands to enjoy near-perfect weather, food from local vendors, and two days’ worth of live music. Click through to check out our exclusive photo gallery from the event.

The lineup was calculatingly split, with Day 1 featuring more dance, hip-hop, and electronic-oriented acts (Chromeo, Santigold, Major Lazer), and Day 2 favoring the indie-rock crowd with Built To Spill, Devendra Banhart, and Explosions In The Sky. Despite a few glitches — low-volume issues on the Hype Machine stage and Kid Cudi being cut off due to curfew — things ran smoothly, especially due to the lack of overlapping sets. Catching Fiona’s inspired performance on the heels of her new album release was our highlight; if you were there too, tell us yours in the comments.